Which Breed is chilled and relaxed?

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Jay1978
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Which Breed is chilled and relaxed?

Post by Jay1978 »

Hi guys

Im new here and wanted to ask your opinions on which cat breeds are more laid back lazy and just want to chill out.

I made a big mistake around 12 years ago when I bought a Bengal which was fine until he hit around 7-8 months then he started becoming aggressive and hard to train. He had free roam of my massive apartment and a big cat tree but something was off.

I ended up giving him to a lady who knew how to look after these cats and had to let him go which was heartbreaking at the time. I quickly found out the lady had him neutered and he was living a good life. I didnt even know about cats needing to be neutered and felt the lady could have told me this and I would have managed after, but who will turn down a FREE Bengal?

Anyway I really miss my feline friend and Im older and wiser now and have been doing my homework.

Im looking into a few breeds including these: Maine Coon, British short haired, Russian Blue or maybe a exotic short haired but dont like the health risks with flat faced cats or dogs for that matter.

Any advice would be great
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Ruth B
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Re: Which Breed is chilled and relaxed?

Post by Ruth B »

We all make mistakes, the best we can then do is learn from them and try not to make the same one in the future.

The first thing is that all cats, unless you intend to breed them responsibly, are best of neutered or spayed, I'm actually surprised that your vet didn't discuss it with you. Also Bengals are notorious for being both active and territorial, I can barely imagine what an unneutered male Bengal would have been like. I will also add that even an indoor only cat should be vaccinated annually and defleaed and dewormed regularly, they may not leave the house, but you do and there is always a remote possibility that you will bring something into the house when you return.

Looking to the future I can give two an opinion on two options.

First have you considered an older rescue cat. Once a cat is about a year old their personality is fairly well set, so a rescue center should be able to help match you up with a cat that has the temperament you want, you will also have a chance to meet the cat and see how they react to you, while a shelter isn't the best place to judge a cats personality it can help. The center will also be a good place to get any advise in the future if you feel you need it.

If you really are set on a pedigree kitten, I would suggest looking at Ragdolls. They are the opposite end of the spectrum to a Bengal, being renown for being laid back and docile. They are really the only pedigree i can comment on as they are the only one i have had real experience with. We adopted a 3 year old male (neutered) Ragdoll many years ago and he was really laid back and placid, all he wanted to do was lounge around and get fussed. The only downside to them is that they don't cope will if left alone too long and can become depressed, they need company, whether it is human or feline. If you are at home a lot then it isn't a problem, otherwise you might want to consider getting two so they would be company for each other. Most pedigrees have some congenital problems due to controlled breeding for certain traits, such as the flat faces in Exotics and Persians, I think the Ragdoll has slightly less inbred problems than some other breeds but it is always worth checking up and talking to any breeder about, a good one will tell you what you have to watch for.
Jay1978
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Re: Which Breed is chilled and relaxed?

Post by Jay1978 »

Thanks for the Reply Ruth

Ive considered a older cat from a rescue center but my wifes heart is set on a kitten even tho there hard work we still managed to look after Chico the Bengal for a good 6 months or so after bringing him home.

He actually wasnt that bad but all of a sudden he wanted to attack me and bite/scratch but not as to draw blood but it did hurt and his aggressiveness was building up. Ive learnt my lesson and should have known about neutering and all that stuff but didnt unfortunately.

I will look into ragdolls as they have always come in the top three if not mostly number 1 in laid back breeds.

The main Coon and British shorthair are usually also in the top 5 and Im going to see a breeder of Maine Coons this weekend to get a feel of what there like.

Thank you
alanc
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Re: Which Breed is chilled and relaxed?

Post by alanc »

I would go for the Maine Coon, males especially are laid back softies, but as a Maine Coon owner, I suppose I am a bit biased!
As Ruth says, you must get them neutered. Indeed, if you buy from a reputable breeder you will probably have to sign a form saying you will get them neutered and they are not fully yours until you have done so!
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Mayday21
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Re: Which Breed is chilled and relaxed?

Post by Mayday21 »

If considering a Maine Coon check gene lines, medical history as apparently they can have heart defects resulting in disastrous consequences when the cat is still quite young.
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